Mass Prelude
by Houston'sProblem
Summary: When a multiverse-spanning AI whispers of destruction, a young security guard must leap from her comfort zone to join a loosely united band of soldiers in their effort to save the galaxy from assured destruction. She just hopes the crew can keep from killing each other long enough for them to succeed. (FemShep/Kaiden, OC/Garrus, possibly more)
1. Prologue

Black. Everything was entirely black. It was a normal, peaceful black. The kind that comes when eyes are closed and breath is soft. But then there was something, lurking and creeping but never closing, always on the edge of thought and sense. Nonexistent eyes open and dart around in vain to see, breath coming heavy and fearful as a dreaming mind struggled to comprehend. This wasn't a normal dream, it thought. This didn't feel like a nightmare, either. But it was cloying, the blackness feeling as if it was flowing into sleeping lungs even though phantom arms try to claw it away. No matter how much struggle was offered, the quiet dark remained, eating screams and cries for help. This felt like death.

Then there was a glimmer, a flicker of colorless light. It slowly pulsed larger, like a distant star, and brought with it warmth and clear breath. There was confusion, fear even, but it reached for the small beacon nonetheless. It brushed only inches away, feeling pleasing warm but otherwise touching nothing as a million soft voices whispered from everywhere at once.

"Do not fear. I am the Watcher. I am here to help you."

They took pause at the voices, confusion filling them. Why did they need help? Their life was normal, simple. Largely uneventful, but not anything they would complain about. Then they realized that perhaps they were indeed dreaming. Things didn't have to make sense in dreams.

"I know it seems absurd, but you must listen well. Your universe is in great peril. A misstep has been taken. Too many lives lost. I need one to stop this. I require you as my hand."

A quest? Strange indeed. The dreamer laughed in silence. What would they do? Even if this were a figment of the imagination, it was an unusual one.

"You are vital to the safety of this line of existence, even if you do not see it. Your thread in destiny is malleable. You will simply have to overcome your own faults, but you will have time." The voices murmured thoughtfully, the point of light becoming larger, starting to make the view difficult, almost painful. "I will show you. Relax your mind…"

Show what? What would-

The thought was never finished as images flash by, almost like a movie. No, a game? But there are sensations too, of pain and temperature emotion. Choices. There are many choices, centered around one man. Or is it a woman? It's never quite clear. Some of the surroundings are familiar. A massive space station. A ship and many people, hurtling towards danger countless times to defend the galaxy. Years pass in mere moments, so many decisions and trusted faces, all whirling by and hardly processed. One name in the storm sticks out. Shepard.

Shepard?

The rush of such vivid sights and feelings build and writhe into agonizing sensation before all at once ending. The light was blinding now, overwhelming already confused thoughts and leaving things pained. "I know this must be much for you to comprehend in such short order," the cacophony mumbled, "but you will have time enough to sort your thoughts. You will find your link to destiny very soon. Now awake."

Barely comprehending, the light fades, and blackness comes again. It overwhelms, silence and stillness consuming until every thought ceases, the mind slipping back to oblivion.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

It's 6:30AM, Citadel Standard Time. A young woman in fitful sleep suddenly jerks upright, her eyes wide and cold sweat beading at her forehead. She heaves a few ragged breaths as her head whirls, staring out into space for a few silent, breathless moments.

"...wh...what the fuck..?" She stammers to nobody in particular, trying to put some voice to her confusion. It doesn't last long as the incessant beeping of her alarm soon catches her attention, the woman jamming the button to quiet it with a slight glare. She sighs as she heaves herself from bed, the last echoes of her sleep fading as she plods into the bathroom to splash cold water onto her face. She looks up to the reflection of her tired expression, faking a smile and rubbing her eyes.

"Well, whatever...maybe I need to drink less after a bad day." She murmurs to herself, laughing gently as she reaches to turn on the shower next to her, preparing for the day ahead, unaware of the burden that has been placed on her shoulders.

…

In the year 2148, explorers on Mars discovered the remains of an ancient spacefaring civilization. In the decades that followed, these mysterious artifacts revealed startling new technologies, enabling travel to the furthest stars. The basis for this incredible technology was a force that controlled the very fabric of space and time.

They called it the greatest discovery in human history.

The civilizations of the galaxy call it…

Mass Effect.

The year is now 2182, and fate has chosen its pawn.


	2. Chapter 1

**AN: Wow, this one came out fast! Admittedly, I didn't have much sleep between the prologue and this one... In this part, we learn the name of our protagonist and how she fits in with the grand scheme of the Mass Effect universe before the big life-changing events happen. This chapter is a little bit slow, and it was a bit weird to write at first, but I think it turned out well towards the end. I hope you enjoy, and thanks so far for all the follows and favorites!**

Chapter One

I smile as I walk out into the living room, my work clothes out and smoothing the comfortable fabric. Despite whatever dream I had, I can't help but feel energized. Today's the day I finally get a real assignment, after all! Grabbing a couple granola bars from the cabinet, I spin around to the coffee table, humming happily as I go over what I'd laid out the night before like always, picking them up and slipping them into place as I murmur to myself.

"Omni tool, keycard, gum, gun..," I almost purr the last word, running my finger along the holster of the firearm gently before picking it up. The Striker V. A trusty, powerful pistol. Technically not legal for civilians to own on the Citadel, but working privatized security has its perks. I smile a little as I strap the pistol to my hip, patting it gently before picking up the last things. Just a few cards, including my work ID. I leaf through them before stopping on the ID, smiling a little.

Merryl K. Hofford. Human. Age 30. Blonde, blue eyes...biotic. Official employee of Elanus Risk Control Services, Citadel Branch. I pocket the cards as my small smile becomes a full fledged grin. It's been nearly two years since I received that card, but damn it it doesn't still feel great to read. Getting hired by one of the biggest security firms in Citadel space that actually operated legally was a dream come true after the Alliance. Too much rank and file. 'Don't be so creative with your biotics, just stick to the skills we teach you!' No thank you.

Maybe we're getting a bit sidetracked.

I step out of the apartment into the streets, chewing on the granola bar as I spare a glance to the sky above. The view of the Citadel is as stunning as ever, even after months of seeing it every day. Just watching those arms drifting quietly through the vacuum of space makes it hard to avoid bumping into people at times. But I shake my head, carefully hurrying through the foot traffic towards the rapid transit stations. I'd already taken enough time with that shower, and Presidium traffic is hell about now. Maybe I can make it in on time today. And maybe they'll invite the krogan to be a Council race, while we're at it.

The ride to the Presidium is as uneventful as ever, complete with the usual traffic from what feels like every other ward. I sigh a little as I finally park the car at my station, hopping out and stretching as I walk towards the end of the block. Stepping up to an office building with the letters ERCS proudly glowing on a sign above the door, I push the door open. The human at the front desk looks up to me and smiles, gesturing to the clock on the wall.

"Only 5 minutes late, Merryl!" he crows, laughing a little. "Looks like traffic was light, huh?"

"Can it, Smith." I retort with my own smile, walking past him to the employee entrance and fishing out my keycard. "Did Alari clock me in already?"

"Yeah she did. You're lucky I don't report you guys for that." The receptionist comments offhandedly, returning to his terminal.

"You're lucky we buy you drinks." There's a laugh as I step through the door, turning towards the armory to find two of my coworkers already there, strapping on their gear and probably talking about the job we've been hired for. They're really the only people I know here, and they've kind of taken me under their wing, teaching me the way the company works and such. I tap on the door to get their attention as I walk up to my locker, fishing out the keycard with a little smile. "Already chatting it up about the contract? Must be a good one." I comment as I pull the locker open, reaching for my armor.

The taller of the two, a turian by the name of Tullius Mesalla, just laughs. Alari T'vaza, the asari beside him, smiles almost pityingly. "Unfortunately for us, no. You're new, so you don't usually get anything bigger than event security." I frown a bit. Ah, hell. She's right. It's still gotta be something, right?

"Okay, so it isn't something great. Can't be bad either, right?"

Tullius rolls his eyes at that, mandibles widening into the turian equivalent of a smirk. "Not unless you think escorting an elcor around to meetings is entertaining." I pause in the middle of tightening a plate onto my thigh. No. I did not just get assigned elcor duty.

"Seriously? An elcor?" I groan, my head dropping forwards as the two aliens laugh. "So...you drew the short straws for who was going on this with me, then..?" I mumble weakly, trying to put some humor into it."

Alari shrugs, patting my shoulder. "Ah, you'll get a good assignment one of these days. Maybe pirate duty in a few years. But for now," She shoves a pack of medi-gel into my hands as I look up to her, wondering what kind of matronly advice she'd pull on me. "You've got paranoid diplomat duty. So hurry your ass up or we're leaving without you."

Wow. So much for asari being the mentors of the galaxy. I sigh softly as I stow the pack in a secure pocket, hurrying it up with the armor and rearranging my pistol around it. I'm in no position to argue with the higher-ups, so might as well do the job well. I manage to catch up to my partners as they exit the building and head for the company garage, falling in step a bit behind them. "So, are we guarding an ambassador or something?"

"Hardly." The turian quips as he checks out a set of keys. "Just a member of some elcor financial committee. Barely worth our time, really. That's why they're sending you with us. But don't tell him I said that though, he's the one financing our paychecks."

I can't help the little scowl that crosses my expression, popping the door to the car open and glancing back at them before deciding it was probably in my best interests to sit in the back. It takes a few moments of shifting before I finally find a semi-comfortable way to sit. These seats weren't designed with comfort for any race in mind. The car hums to life as Alari takes the wheel, slipping out of the garage and merging into traffic as we head off.

I sigh as the sights of the Presidium whirl by, mulling over my position in my head. It's...what I should have expected, I guess. I've only been employed by ERCS for a couple years, and the most I've done is perimeter security for a few Alliance awards ceremonies they couldn't do at Arcturus. They aren't going to give a rookie like me anything big straight off the bat. Even if said rookie had exemplary marks.

"Hey, wake up." A talon raps on my shoulder and snaps me from my thoughts. "We're here. Unless you'd rather stay behind?"

I mumble a quick apology to the turian and quickly launch myself from my seat, pushing my bangs back from my face and taking a deep breath to still my thoughts. Tullius gives me a rather quizzical look, some measure of concern lacing it.

"You okay, Hofford? You keep spacing off. You don't have to be nervous, you know, it's not a big job." He says in a rather...soothing tone? Though when the person saying it is a good two feet taller than you, it doesn't quite work.

I shake my head and smile. "No, it's not that I'm nervous. I'm a trigger happy rookie, I'm just disappointed I'm not killing pirates." I joke, adjusting my pistol as I move to catch up with Alari. I can hear Tullius laughing behind me, shaking his head as he follows behind.

"Alright, whatever. Just don't screw this up." He replies as he walks up to the fancy office tower we've parked in front of. He presses a button next to the carefully sealed doors, starting to talk to the person on the other end about our clearance to get in.

"Don't worry," I murmur mostly to myself, standing a bit straighter to give myself just a bit more confidence. "I won't."

 **AN: I'm happy with this chapter, but I'm not so sure I can get the next out as quickly. I'm back in school and on a sleep schedule again, so much less time to spend at 3 in the morning thinking of names for aliens... But I'm sure I'll manage. :) I hope you all enjoyed! Next time, we get to walk an elcor around the Citadel while grim news begins to spread...**

 **Until next time, have a good one!**


	3. Chapter 2

**AN: Hello everyone! Thanks to all the follows and favorites so far! I'm very happy that you like it as much as I like writing it. :)**

 **In this chapter, Merryl and friends have to watch over their client. Will their day be eventful? Or just really boring?**

Chapter 2

It turns out elcor duty is far more boring than I originally thought.

"You're gonna dent your head if you keep slamming it into the wall." Comes the amused voice of Tullius across the hall as I tap my head against the sleek wall of the office. We've been standing here for almost two hours already with nothing to do but talk to each other, and the conversation dies pretty quickly when you're technically on the job.

"I'll die of boredom first." I moan out, voice laced with only partially sarcastic suffering. "Seriously. I'm bringing a book tomorrow."

Alari laughs as she plays whatever game she downloaded to her omni tool before we got here. "That really isn't a bad idea. If this is the guy's schedule for the whole time he's got us, we're probably in for a lot of down time."

I sigh and turn to face them again, leaning back against the wall I was abusing with my cranium. "How long are we working for this guy, anyways..?" I ask, though I almost don't want to know. "I can't stand this, even award ceremonies aren't this dull."

"Only a few days, don't worry." The asari remarks, hardly even looking up. "For us, at least. You'll have an extra day with him." I freeze up when she says that.

"What, you mean by myself?"

Tullius chuckles. Crud, I must have sounded a lot more nervous than I meant to. "Don't panic Hofford, they do this with all the rookies. They just want to see if you'll do something stupid when you're left alone, like go out while he's in the meeting. Just do your job, and you've got nothing to worry about."

I nod after a few quiet moments, relaxing and crossing my arms over my chest. I retreat into my own thoughts as the conversation winds down, tilting my head back to stare at the ceiling. A day by myself won't be so bad. Sure, he's slow, but I can deal with that. As long as it stays uneventful, then I'll be okay. I should probably stop worrying so much… Speaking of worrying, did I feed my fish before I left?

"So, have you guys heard about those murders in the Zakera Ward?" The distinct turian voice catches my attention and I glance back down, immediately attentive. I saw something about those on a news vid a few days ago, something about a string of murders.

"Yeah, I live there, 'course I heard about them," I reply. "Apparently C-Sec is having a tough time catching the perp."

"Tough is an understatement." Alari quips, cursing as she loses her focus on the omni tool game. "The news says they were butchered and had their organs harvested. Pretty grisly, huh? All the blood masks any other evidence."

Tullius smirks a bit and looks straight at me. "I heard all the victims were human. You should watch your back out there, Hofford." His tone is teasing, but that doesn't help the sense of dread that creeps up my spine as I frown.

"Stop that! Ugh, I already walk through a shady block when I come to work, that isn't going to be helping me…" I grumble, already feeling the paranoia creep in. Maybe another lock on my door wouldn't be a bad idea. I am a biotic, and a pretty powerful one, so I could just throw them and get away… But what if they are too? And what if they catch me by surprise? I shake the thoughts from my head and scowl at the two as they laugh at my misery, muttering something about how I could flip them out the window with my brain before the conversation turns back to something a little more normal.

This is going to be a long shift…

Well, it really wasn't too much longer.

After about two and a half hours of standing around, the elcor finally exited whatever meeting he had been in. Movement was an utter relief at that point, and fortunately it seemed like we'd spend the rest of the day making at least a snail's pace around the Presidium. The elcor walked slowly in front of me, with Alari and Tullius at either side of him.

"Apologetically: I am quite sorry for the wait. I didn't think that the meeting would take up so much time." He droned out, the monotone a bit disorienting. I haven't spent a good deal of time around elcor, and I'm just glad they say what the tone of their voice should be before they talk. If they didn't I'd have to try to read their faces, and they don't have too much in the way of expression, so that would be-

"It's no problem, Mr. Caltan." The asari on his right replies in the warm but professional manner we were all trained to speak to our clients in. "It's what you hired us for, isn't it?" Oh, that's his name. I should remember that.

The elcor seems a bit thoughtful at this. "Thoughtfully: I suppose so. But tomorrow will hopefully involve less meetings. Pleasantly: I have a few clients to speak with in person, so we will be moving around a bit more. Mostly in the Zakera ward."

I try not to tense up at the mention, even though they can't see me. I really should calm down about that, I'm on the job. I can be paranoid later. I silently sigh as I rub my hand on the grip, reminding myself to take the main walkways home today. Hopefully there's some good show on that I can watch to calm myself down. Or I can binge read all those new books I got.

I get a little lost in my thoughts again as we make our rounds through the Presidium, and soon after go to the ward. Honestly, now I'm kind of wishing for a break. Even if it's slow walking, our client is going nonstop. Whatever work he's doing, he really wants to get it done. We almost comb the offices of Zakera in a grid for hours, stopping every few blocks so he can conduct his business. He eventually stops in front of some place that looks more like an apartment block than an office, turning towards us with a relaxed demeanor. At least, I think that's what that is.

"Warmly: Thank you for your work today. You must do your company proud. I've finished what I need to for today, so if you would like, you may leave early. I will be safe here."

We all pause for a few moments, glancing between one another. "Oh, uh...are you certain, Mr. Caltan?" Tullius asks after a second. "You are paying all day rates, not hourly…"

"Politely insistent: No, I am sure. Think of it as thanks for your patience and professionalism. Goodnight, and take care." And with that, he turns and plods up to the building, leaving us slightly stunned and glancing between one another.

Alari is the first to speak up, slowly smiling. "Well, alright. That's fine by me. We got off what, 4 hours early? Why don't we go stash our gear and hit up Flux?"

"Well…" I hum to myself. I really shouldn't get smashed when there's a killer on the loose...but I could use a drink or two. It'd help with my nerves, at least. But I need to do something important dust. "Oh, why not? But I gotta go do something first. Meet you guys there?"

"You forgot to feed your fish again, huh?" My smile drops.

"Tullius, I will strangle you."

The laughter that ensues is hard not to join in with. I roll my eyes and try not to smile as I turn to walk back to my apartment. "Just tell Smith to clock me out. I'll see you guys at Flux." I call back to them, giving them a wave and putting a bit of a spring in my step. Life is pretty good right now.

The next two days of the job go by just as smoothly, thankfully for my mental state. Another murder happened the first day, which is the perfect thing to set a girl on edge when she lives a few blocks from where it happened. At least Mr. Caltan's been letting us off early pretty much every day, so I'm basically working half days. It's nice to catch your shows live for once.

I hum happily as I curl up on the couch, fishing my book from between the cushions and cracking it open. Hello, asari poetry. Time to binge. The television drones on in the background as I flip the pages, one newscast or another playing. Whatever, it's nothing new. Nothing I care about.

My attention is ripped from the words on the paper when my doorbell goes off, my head jerking up and eyes widening a little. Who's ringing my doorbell? Nobody rings it. Everyone I know just sends me a message on my omni tool or yells at me from the street. What if it's the murderer? Am I going to get murdered? Oh god no.

I carefully set the book down and grab the Striker from the floor where I very irresponsibly dumped it Putting it carefully on the table, I call out a soft "Coming!," getting up and walking towards the door. I glance back at it, making sure I have a clear line to the pistol so I can Pull it if need be. Let's hope I don't. I turn my attention back to the door and hesitantly open it, having to crane my neck back a ways to meet the eyes of the turian on the other side. He gives a respectful little nod before speaking.

"Hello, my name is Garrus Vakarian. I'm a detective with C-Sec, investigating the recent string of murders on this ward." He states firmly, voice authoritative and almost accusatory as he gets right to the point. "Are you Merryl Hofford?"

Oh boy.

 **AN: Cliffhanger ending! Dun dun! Our very first appearance of a squad mate, and it doesn't look like it's going well. Will we see an arrest? Find out on the next chapter!**

 **Until next time, everyone!**


	4. Chapter 3

**AN: Hello! It's been a little while since my last update, sorry about that. I've been trying to edit this when I have time, so I hope this is up to snuff with the rest of my work. In this part, Merryl might be in a bit of trouble...maybe she'll be able to make it out unscathed? Maybe not...**

Chapter 3

"Hello, my name is Garrus Vakarian. I'm a detective with C-Sec, investigating the recent string of murders on this ward. Are you Merryl Hofford?"

I'm semi-frozen, very stunned at this sudden development. Why is C-Sec on my case about this? I know the last guy to die was close, but I didn't really know them, and they weren't even in my neighborhood! There's no reason this guy should be here! But...I kind of recognize him, actually. His name is so familiar, I just can't place-

" _You were asked to be a Spectre?" An unfamiliar woman asks, almost incredulously. Her appearance is indistinct, hard to make out. Contrary to the turian in front of her._

" _Well, I was targeted as a possible Spectre candidate. Me and about a thousand other turian military recruits." He replies, mandibles set in a slightly sheepish grin._

The image is gone as quickly as it came and I blink, seeing the very same turian in front of me patiently awaiting an answer. What was that? Is that why he's so familiar? Oh god, how long was I spacing off?

"O-Oh, uh, yeah. That's me." I reply quickly, stepping back from the door as if to invite him in. "I, uh...hope I can help." Crap, I sound so sketchy right now. This isn't good. He steps in and glances around, eyes immediately landing on the pistol on my coffee table. "Um...I have a license for that." I say hastily. "I-I work for ERCS, so…"

The stare he's giving me is incredibly unnerving, and I can't help but fidget under it. "...I'll have to check that when we're done, then." He finally says, activating his omni tool. "I'd like to ask you some questions, if that's alright."

"Oh, yeah sure. Go right ahead." What would he even want to ask me? I wouldn't know anything about those murders…

"Where were you the day before yesterday, at 5pm?"

"I was at Flux with a couple coworkers, what is this about, exactly?" I ask carefully, crossing my arms and standing as straight as I can in an attempt to have some confidence in front of the much taller alien. It wasn't working very well.

He hums and opens a window on the orange display, almost pointedly ignoring my question. "Well that's strange, because your work records show you as on the job until 9:45. With one 'Mr. Caltan,' I believe?" His tone becomes a bit aggressive and it takes everything I have not to shift back as my expression becomes flat, and then slowly turns into a scowl.

"I'm going to strangle Tullius for real this time."

"...pardon?"

I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose and shaking my head. "Okay, so that client has a habit of letting us off a few hours early. My coworkers told you that, right? Or...wait, have you even interviewed them yet?" I look up to him and sigh before he has time to open his mouth and reply. "Right, well he's been letting us off early, and so me, Alari, and Tullius have been going to Flux to get some drinks, hang out, whatever. That day I had to go straight home after being let off, and I asked them to clock me out. 9:45 is the auto-clock time, so they probably forgot to do that. Ask them and the bartender, at 5 we were most definitely sitting at the bar."

Detective Vakarian pauses for a few moments before his omni tool beeps and he glances down to it, reading the message he just received. His face makes several different expressions before he sighs and turns the tool off. "...well, I'm sorry to bother you then." Oh, that was probably my alibi just checking out. That's awfully on-point! "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, miss. Have a nice night." He says in an exasperated tone, turning to go.

I hesitate a second before clearing my throat. "Hold on, why were you questioning me? What kind of connection would I have with this..?" I ask quickly. Whatever that vision of him was, it was probably pretty important. If I can help him, maybe that'll help me understand. I hope, at least.

He pauses and turns to look at me, staying silent for a few moments. "...Well, the elcor who hired you, Mr. Caltan, is our prime suspect for the case. We just don't have anything concrete on him, and it's hard to touch him since he's got some pretty high up connections." He replies carefully. "I figured if you were an accomplice of some kind, I could get you to talk, and then we'd have him. Now I'm back to having nothing." He seems pretty frustrated with the whole situation. Now I almost feel bad.

Wait. If he _is_ the murderer, and he's been killing humans, and I'm alone with him tomorrow…

"...well, Detective," I begin to say as a smile crawls onto my lips, any kind of logic that might be used to preserve my own safety flying out the window.. "I might still be able to help you out." Wow, that sounded like it came straight from a cheesy vid.

But it catches his attention pretty quickly, so I decide to elaborate. "He's been killing humans, right? Well, I'm a human. And I'm also the only guard assigned to him tomorrow. You see where this is going, yeah?"

He slowly smiles as I explain, nodding. "Yeah, I get it. Miss Hofford, you're either very brave or very reckless. Maybe both, but that's very helpful for me." He opens his omni tool quickly. "Let me give you my information, and we can work out a plan for this."

I bring up my own omni tool, heart pounding. Holy crud, I didn't think he'd actually go for it! On the one hand, if I screw up, I'll either have nothing or I'll be dead...no pressure, I guess. I'll just have to trust this detective to hatch a plan that works. He's gotta be at least a little tactically gifted to be considered as a Spectre candidate, right? At least, if whatever I saw was true. Whatever that vision was, I very sincerely hope it was correct.

"I'm having second thoughts about this." I grumble softly into the wire stuck to the collar of my armor, shifting nervously outside of the elcor's office. "Are you sure your rifle has enough stopping power for an elcor? I'm very sure it doesn't."

"If you wanted to back out, you should have done it earlier." The turian murmurs almost playfully into the comm, and I glance around rather nervously, wondering where he might have holed up. He had promised to tail us quite closely, ready to intervene at a moment's notice. I check to make sure my omni tool is recording audio before taking a deep breath, trying to act natural as the doors slide open.

I look up to the elcor with a smile, taking my position at his side. "Hello Mr. Caltan, how did the meeting go?"

"Tired cheer: It went well, but it was somewhat dull. I apologize for keeping you again." He rumbled in his monotone, though I just smiled and shook my head as we took off down the streets.

"Don't worry about it, I didn't mind at all." I chirp, trying to keep my innocent act up as I glance around. Where's Garrus? It'd be comforting to catch a glimpse of him, at the very least. I can see a turian in blue out of the corner of my eye, which might be him, but I can't look too hard right now. Just gotta press on.

"Mild concern: You are looking quite nervous. Are you doing well?" The elcor suddenly asks, and I look over to him with a slightly jittery smile.

"Oh, yeah, just a little on edge, I guess." I say, laughing lightly. "This is my first time out solo, so…"

"Understanding: I see. Well, you are doing a fine job." He hummed out, turning down a street that I know leads to a rather abandoned section of the ward. "Warmly: I would never have expected such a young person to be so professional."

I feel like I'm going to melt down from nervousness when the silence over the radio breaks. "Don't worry, Merryl. I'm just a few blocks down." He probably saw me looking around. Urgh, I need to calm down a bit.

I smile a bit wryly, my hand straying to brush against the grip of the pistol at my hip, my other hand clenching as I struggled to keep my biotics down. "Thank you, Mr. Caltan. That's very kind of you to say…" I trail off when his steps suddenly go silent and I realize he's behind me. Whirling around quickly, I only catch a flicker of blue before I'm launched off of my feet and shoved into a wall.

"Cynically: Of course. Now if you would refrain from screaming, this will make things much easier for both of us."

Things just got a lot more complicated.

I let my own biotics flare up and push the elcor as he begins to approach, scrambling to my feet and dashing behind a corner. "Detective, you might need some backup!" I hiss into the wire, drawing my pistol and peeking around the wall.

"What, what's wrong?" His voice is urgent as the elcor swings his arm, sending a nearby dumpster flying at me. I duck down into cover and curse softly as it dents the wall when it smacks against it..

"He's a biotic, this arrest just got more interesting!" I reply, leaning out to send another push at him, just trying to keep him back, but it's hard to play keep away when he's fighting every step. I don't want to shoot him, but the pistol is ready and waiting, and the closer he inches, the more itchy my trigger finger gets. I hiss out a curse and tear myself from the wall, bolting down the long alleyway towards the main road. He's slow enough, if I can just make it to the end…

I'm lifted off my feet about halfway down, flailing in the air for a helpless moment before being slammed hard into the ground, all of the air knocked out of my lungs. There's a snapping sound, and burning pain flares up in my lower chest. Ohhh, I'm very, very screwed. Where the hell is Garrus? I wheeze loudly and roll over weakly, trying to level my pistol at him, but a shove knocks it from my grip.

"Menacing contempt: Did you really think you could escape from me? I've claimed five lives so far, and you will be just another one of theml, human." He declares, raising his arm for what must be the death blow. I'm too late to counter it, the pain is messing with my biotics...this is the end. Holy shit, I don't want to die..!

The swing stops when a hail of automatic rifle fire impacts the barrier surrounding the elcor, and my gaze snaps towards the source. Garrus Vakarian, sending me a grin as he holds the massive alien at gunpoint.

"Sorry for the hold-up, had to call in a few more squad cars for this. And you, sir," His expression becoming serious as he returns his attention to the criminal. "Are under arrest for the murders of five humans in the Zakera ward. In the interests of your own safety, I think you should come quietly."

The elcor stares at him for a few moments before making a sound that might have been a laugh in a species that doesn't speak in monotone, turning to stare down the detective. "Mocking amusement: Do you think a few officers will be able to stand against me? My biotics are far more powerful than anything you could face…" My attention on him slips down to the dumpster that he had thrown earlier as he rambles, crumpled and dented, but mostly intact. But Garrus is between it and the elcor…

I shift my eyes up to the turian and take a careful breath, blocking out the pain as I flare blue. "Detective," I whisper into the mic. "I need you to dodge to your left on my word, and do it fast." He sends me a confused glance, but I'm just focusing on the dumpster, judging about how much force I'll need to use to knock the elcor out. I've never done this to an elcor, so...probably enough to knock out a krogan? Elcor are tough, he'll get a concussion at most, I hope. I grit my teeth and close my fist, the dumpster covering in a blue aura. "Now!" I grunt, pulling the dumpster hard.

The turian hits the deck as quickly as he can as the metal container goes flying at a speed that defies how heavy it is, sailing right into the elcor's face. His barrier doesn't stand half a chance. He kind of sways for a moment and I'm worried that he might not have hit him hard enough. Then he crumples into a loose pile, groaning softly. Utter relief fills me and I follow suit, flopping onto the ground as a distinctive laugh hits my ears.

"Wow, you should have told me you were a biotic." The detective remarks, footsteps coming towards me before the turian looms above me with a grin. "I mean, things went well, but you could have just done that in the beginning and this would have been a lot easier."

"Thank you." I grumble tiredly, grimacing from the pain that floods through my chest every time I breathe. "Now you owe me a drink and a hospital visit. Probably not in that order, now that I think about it..."

His expression immediately drops and he kneels down beside me. "What? Did you get hurt? What happened?" He asks quickly, a hand resting on my shoulder as if to be comforting.

I shake my head a little, chuckling weakly at his sudden worry and immediately regretting it. "He just broke a rib. Or two, I don't know. It hurts but I should be okay. Please call an ambulance, he'll probably need one more than I do." I gesture to the unconscious elcor a few meters away. The detective glances between him and me before nodding, opening his omni-tool and tapping on it furiously as I start to hear police sirens in the distance. I rest my head back against the cold metal floor and sigh gently.

Maybe I really don't need that much excitement in my job.


End file.
